The One About Dumbledore's Alcoholism
by lioneatingdragon
Summary: The Hogwarts Express is unusually absent this year, the causes of that unknown to all students, although some of them have their theories. My entry for the first day of: 'Summer Marauders Spectacular' on tumblr.


"Prongs, would you please stop that?" Remus Lupin's frustrated voice travelled from his spot on the bench at Hogsmeade's train station, a book spread out on his lap. The 'that' he referred to was his friend, James Potter, incessantly bouncing on the soles of his feet. "It's distracting."

"Aw, come on Moony!" Sirius Black whipped around to address his friend, a broad smile decorating his beaming face. "Leave the lad be, you know how vehement he gets about the summer holidays!"

"Wow, 'vehement'? Big words coming from you, Padfoot." Remus deadpanned, without looking up from his book. "Besides, I don't think he's this excited about the summer holidays."

"What do you…" Sirius began, but he didn't even need to ask the question because the answer presented itself - or rather _herself_ \- as soon as he turned back around. His grin widened.

"Oi, Evans!" he shouted, turning the heads of every occupant of the train station, including his target. She turned at the sound of her name and waved. Sirius beckoned her, so she and Marlene McKinnon started making their way towards the group of three to the displeasure, and approval of James.

"What are you doing?" He hissed at Sirius from the corner of his mouth, his face blanching.

"What? You're not gonna tell me you didn't want to Lily to come over here, are you?"

"No... but I wasn't ready! You can't just call people over without consulting your _best mate_ first!"

"Aw Prongs, you're blushing!"

"Shut up Padfoot! I bet you only called them over here because of McKinnon…"

"I don't think I like what you're suggesting, Prongs."

"Well I didn't like you calling over Evans-"

"Bullshit."

"-But you went and did that anyway so…"

"Oh Prongs, my _dear_ friend…"

"Moony aren't you going to interject?"

Both boys turned to stare at their disinterested companion. Sighing, he shifted his gaze over to James and shrugged. "He got you to stop twitching."

Sirius smirked triumphantly, folding his arms. James opened his mouth to retaliate in some sort of snarky remark, when a buoyant voice cut in.

"Hey guys!" Marlene McKinnon greeted them, smiling at every single one of them in turn. Upon noticing James's sour expression, she added: "Are we interrupting something?"

"Prongsie here was just commenting on how ridiculous this situation is, isn't that right Prongs?" Sirius provided before James could do as much as even utter a syllable, and slung an arm across James's shoulders.

"It is strange... nothing like this has ever happened before." Marlene pondered.

"Outrageous, isn't it? Reckon this is ol' Dumbledore's fault?"

"Oh yeah, I reckon he's drunk in his office right now."

"Reckon you want to find out?"

"Absolutely."

The two teenagers grinned at each other, completely oblivious to the knowing looks the others were throwing them.

"If you two are quite done with the flirting," Lily piped up for the first time, her words earning her a scowl from Sirius and a laugh from Marlene. "What do you think is actually happening?"

"We sent Peter to find out what's happening." James informed, ducking from underneath Sirius's arm, and running a hand through his already tousled hair.

"Oh that poor boy." Marlene whispered dramatically clutching her heart. Lily was giving James and Sirius a disapproving look.

"It wasn't our idea, it was Remus's!"

"He pretty much volunteered anyway!"

Remus's head shot up instantly upon hearing his name. He stood up, put his book down on the bench and started walking towards the group. However, he recoiled when he saw Lily raising a judging eyebrow at him.

"We drew his name out of a makeshift hat." Remus claimed, averting his eyes in shame. Lily considered that answer for a few seconds, then nodded, satisfied. Remus let out a relieved breath, whereas James and Sirius shared victorious smiles.

"Where are Mary and Alice, by the way?" Sirius asked, but neither Lily or Marlene got to answer because a thunderous groan resounded and clouds of steam engulfed the platform, announcing the arrival of the long-awaited Hogwarts Express. A round of cheers erupted from the students.

The five started to pile into the train along with the other students after Remus grabbed his book from the bench and the girls collected their baggages.

They found a compartment already occupied by the two aforementioned females and Peter Pettigrew.

"Fortescue! MacDonald! We were just talking about you." Sirius announced, sauntering into the compartment and flopping onto the spot next to Mary, opposite Peter. Next entered Lily, eyeing the compartment skeptically.

"Are you _sure_ eight people will fit inside here, James?" Lily worried, continuing her previous debate with James as she sat down next to Peter, who in turn was sitting next to Alice.

"Sure we can!" James responded confidently, entering and plopping down on the seat next to Lily, followed closely by Marlene and Remus, who sat down next to Sirius. "If Bertram Aubrey can fit in one of these, so can we."

Nobody missed the smirk that passed between James and Sirius.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, what have you done _now_ , James?!" Alice accused, leaning forward in order to see James.

"Well, nice to see you too, Alice." James answered in a mock offended tone. "As a matter of fact, _I_ didn't do anything, I simply stood by and pretended I wasn't witnessing what that was happening at that particular moment."

"I call bullshit."

"You kiss your mother with that mouth, McKinnon?"

"I agree with her. If anything even just slightly amusing happens to someone it's always you, especially if it's something as ridiculous as enlarging Bertram Aubrey's head."

"You know about that, MacDonald?"

"Well, I must say Black, it wasn't very hard to notice."

"Huh." James chortled, a mixture of pride and amusement colouring his face. "This is turning into quite an interesting first day of summer, don't you think?"

"First day?" Peter puzzled, looking over at James with a bemused expression on his face. "But it's the last day of term…"

James straightened in his seat abruptly, his eyes twinkling as if he just had an epiphany. "You guys don't consider the last day of term the first day of summer? Or Friday the first day of the weekend?"

James glanced at every one of them in turn, but every single person except Sirius and Remus sported a befuddled facial expression.

"Well, how about - considering it's our last summer - just this once, we all consider today the first day of summer?" James proposed.

"Yeah," Lily agreed thoughtfully. "Yeah, let's do that." She repeated with increased confidence and fervour. Everyone concurred, either with a word or simply a sound because frankly, the way things were now, they weren't going to risk blowing off a chance for their first day of summer to be a pleasant memory because for all they knew their actual first day of summer could be filled with death and tragedy, and inexplicably, none of them fancied that idea.


End file.
